As a flight nurse and paramedic, I read with interest "The Case for Specialized Transport Teams" (Viewpoint, September).

Critically ill and injured children and neonates who require transport between facilities need a different level of care than hospital or emergency field patients do. The basic paramedic and nursing curricula don't include training in specialized interhospital critical care transport or how to care for critically ill children and neonates in transit.

When making decisions about transferring these patients, referring providers should be aware of the level of education and training of the transport team. Teams must, at a minimum, have training and experience in the management of these patients in critical care settings and must be capable of functioning autonomously in a variety of settings if immediate communication with a physician isn't possible, or if immediate lifesaving actions are required.

Kellene H. Sauls, BSN, RN, EMT-P

Yulee, FL